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 Ball joints (No Zerks???)
#696123
02/13/06 06:42 PM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 326
OP
Mudrunner
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Saturday I was greasing the lube points when realized that I have no zerks on the ball joints. (Why are the called zerks instead of grease fittings or nipples? Just curious.) Anyway, both top and bottom fittings have a bolt instead of zerks. Did someone replace the ball joints with a cheap set or just ghetto the piss out of it? By the amount of rust on them they've been there for awhile. My thought is to go buy (4) zerks and replace the bolts.
'86 Toyo 4wd
'04 600RR
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: TimsToyo]
#696124
02/13/06 08:57 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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I'd be interested in hearing other opinions on this, too. I've always wondered about the various knuckels and joints under the front end that don't seem to have grease fittings. I 'think' that ZERK was the name of a manufacturer , like Allenite. Kinda like buying a 'Coke' when you really want a soft drink. ( No offense to the Pepsi drinkers among us ) Mike in AR <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
#696125
02/13/06 09:10 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,010
Body Damage is Cool
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they did that to be cheaper. buy the appropriate size grease fitting and thread it in there. dont pump them too much though. you can get zerk fittings at almost any auto parts store near the grease guns.
87 22R PU, 2? body lift, 33? BFG muds, 4.88's, F&R Lock-Rights, Rancho Shocks, EB's Street RV Head w/ 268 Cam, LCE Header, 2" to 2 1/4" exhaust, Flowmaster 50 series, Magnaflow high flow cat, complete Herculined SR5 interior, V6 BB, MC, and calipers.
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: 87Toy4x4]
#696126
02/13/06 09:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,153
Web Wheeler
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A zerk is a grease fitting on a machine, a sort of hollow nipple, over which a grease gun is fit, and through which grease is applied to moving parts... Oscar U. Zerk was born in Austria but lived in the United States. In the 1920's, while working for the Alamite Corporation, he invented the Zerk fitting. He died in 1968.
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: 4Crawler]
#696127
02/13/06 09:41 PM
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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A zerk is a grease fitting on a machine, a sort of hollow nipple, over which a grease gun is fit, and through which grease is applied to moving parts... Oscar U. Zerk was born in Austria but lived in the United States. In the 1920's, while working for the Alamite Corporation, he invented the Zerk fitting. He died in 1968. Well, I sorta had it right. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drunk.gif" alt="" /> Mike in AR <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: TimsToyo]
#696128
02/13/06 10:51 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,262
Body Damage is Cool
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There is a school of thought that has you put in the zerk fitting to grease up the joint, and then remove it and put in a bolt to keep out contamination and prevent the zerk fitting from getting snapped off.
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: foxtrapper]
#696129
02/14/06 02:34 AM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 326
OP
Mudrunner
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I think someone forgot about them when they put the bolts in. I almost overlooked them all together because they're so rusted.
'86 Toyo 4wd
'04 600RR
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: TimsToyo]
#696130
02/14/06 04:16 AM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 706
Rock Warrior
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Hi Tim
I replaced all 4 ball joints a few years ago with Toyota parts. Each one had a bolt instead of a zerk. I had a few extras laying around and they went right in. No sweat.
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: Jeepeater]
#696131
02/14/06 02:18 PM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 326
OP
Mudrunner
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Thanks for the info guys. I'm going to pull a zerk from a u-joint and grease the ball joints for now. I have a dust cover that's rotted out so I'll have to replace that while I'm there.
'86 Toyo 4wd
'04 600RR
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Re: Ball joints (No Zerks???)
[Re: TimsToyo]
#696132
02/14/06 03:31 PM
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,010
Body Damage is Cool
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if youre going to go through the trouble of replacing the boot why dont you just replace the whole thing? ball joints are pretty cheap, even from the dealer. chances are that if the boot is torn or rotted out the bj's arent too far behind b/c dirt/sand/debris have gotten in there already.
87 22R PU, 2? body lift, 33? BFG muds, 4.88's, F&R Lock-Rights, Rancho Shocks, EB's Street RV Head w/ 268 Cam, LCE Header, 2" to 2 1/4" exhaust, Flowmaster 50 series, Magnaflow high flow cat, complete Herculined SR5 interior, V6 BB, MC, and calipers.
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